> Given the "friendly" relationship between Intel and Microsoft, we> can expect the first Merced machines shipped in 1999 will be running> version 5.0 or 6.0 of NT, and Linux 3.0 or 4.0 for Merced will be> available about 3 years later, when it will not be considered a> strategic menace anymore.

Judging from the progress made by the Linux UltraPenguin team (David,Jakub Richard), once the specs for this chip are out, a fullyfunctional Linux distribution for the merced can be put together inabout two months. Probably less.